Bryan County is rapidly changing. According to the 2020 Census, Bryan County is the fastest-growing in Georgia and 6th in the entire nation. With this growth comes enormous responsibility: we must ensure that progress does not erase the very history, character, and sense of place that drew people here in the first place.

The 2023 Bryan County Comprehensive Plan mentions “historic” 139 times, proving the importance and recognition of our historic resources. But recognition is not protection. Without action, we risk losing these irreplaceable places one property, one landmark, one piece of our shared story at a time.

Recent examples of at-risk or lost history include:

• The sale of the Bryan Neck Presbyterian Church and manse, home to the oldest congregation in Georgia, with rumored renovations that could jeopardize its status on the National Register of Historic Places.
• A rezoning proposal for a gas station just 5 feet from graves at Burnt Church Cemetery, thankfully withdrawn after public pushback.
• The mishandling and destruction of artifacts, human remains, and funerary objects at Native American archeological sites, as outlined in a federal lawsuit.

Without a county-wide historic preservation ordinance and a dedicated Historic Preservation Commission, there is no consistent process to identify, guide, and protect these treasures. Other local governments, including Richmond Hill, Chatham County, and McIntosh County, have already proven successful.

Bryan County has the advantage of experienced staff and clear guidance from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Historic Preservation Ordinance Guide. The first step is simple: direct staff to review the guide and begin drafting a county-wide ordinance.

This is not about stopping growth, it’s about shaping it responsibly. We can protect our history while respecting property rights, ensuring that preservation works in partnership with private landowners rather than against them.

We call on the Bryan County Board of Commissioners to:

1. Adopt a county-wide preservation ordinance covering structures, sites, and trees.
2. Establish a Bryan County Historic Preservation Commission.

The decisions we make now will determine whether future generations inherit a Bryan County rich with its history or one that has traded it away.

Please consider signing this petition to join us with your support for protecting Bryan County’s history before it is lost and forgotten.